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Signal Messenger Review

Worth it

Should I use Signal Messenger?

Say "hello" to a different messaging experience. An unexpected focus on privacy, combined with all of the features you expect. - signal.org

· 1 month ago

Buy if you want free, private messaging from a nonprofit — reviewers consistently rank it the top secure messenger for individuals. Skip it if you need enterprise controls like admin consoles, SSO, or message retention, because Signal offers none.

Confidence

High. Based on 25+ public sources: independent reviews, security advisories, official pages, and Reddit discussion.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support-quality evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Signal

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Privacy-conscious individuals
  • Journalists and activists
  • Anyone leaving Meta-owned WhatsApp
  • Small nonprofits wanting secure chat for free

Not for

  • Businesses needing admin consoles, SSO, or compliance controls
  • Buyers wanting vendor SLAs or paid support contracts
  • Users who can't or won't share a phone number
  • Teams needing message retention or e-discovery

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Mandiant warned Russian hackers abused the linked-devices feature for real-time spying; audit yours

high

Desktop app file-handling vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-24068/69) were disclosed; keep clients updated

medium

Twilio incident affected some Signal users; review Signal's published guidance

medium

No commercial tier: no vendor support, no admin tooling, roadmap depends on donors

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free app with no ads or subscriptions
  • Developed by a nonprofit, not an ad-driven company
  • Listed among the best private messengers by reviewers
  • Publishes incident transparency and user guidance
  • Praised across 2024-2026 independent privacy reviews

Cons

  • Requires your phone number, limiting anonymity
  • Desktop client had publicly disclosed vulnerabilities in 2023
  • Attackers exploited linked devices to spy on targets
  • Donation-funded; users debate long-term sustainability

Sources & method

- 16 sources - Strong privacy reputation; known issues are documented, with desktop client and linked-device abuse the main risks.

official x5review x5security x2news x4
  • Signal Desktop client vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-24068/24069), File-handling flaws in the desktop client, discussed publicly by Kaspersky.
  • Linked-device exploitation for spying, Mandiant warned that Russian hackers abused Signal's linked-devices feature for real-time spying.
  • Twilio incident, Signal published guidance after a Twilio incident affecting some Signal users.
  • CVE-2018-3988, Historic Signal Messenger Android vulnerability, tracked in NVD with a 4.7 severity score in third-party feeds.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 16

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Completely free; donation-funded, no ads
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Feels like a standard chat app
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Core features solid; no standout extras cited
  • Support quality. No support-quality evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 4/5. Top-rated privacy; documented desktop and linked-device issues
  • Free Price No subscriptions or ads
  • Yes Free tier Entire app is free
  • 453 G2 reviews Reviews on G2
  • 2018 Founded Signal Foundation, Feb 21, 2018

Pricing

Signal

Free

  • Full encrypted messaging app
  • Runs on donations
  • No ads or paid tiers

Security

Strong privacy reputation; known issues are documented, with desktop client and linked-device abuse the main risks.

  • Signal Desktop client vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-24068/24069)File-handling flaws in the desktop client, discussed publicly by Kaspersky.⁸
  • Linked-device exploitation for spyingMandiant warned that Russian hackers abused Signal's linked-devices feature for real-time spying.10
  • Twilio incidentSignal published guidance after a Twilio incident affecting some Signal users.13
  • CVE-2018-3988Historic Signal Messenger Android vulnerability, tracked in NVD with a 4.7 severity score in third-party feeds.⁹

What users say

Reviewers and Reddit users consistently call Signal the best private messenger, while debating phone-number sign-up and donation funding.

“Signal is truly the best messaging app for most”
Reddit, r/privacy
“Why Signal Is Still Our Favorite Secure Messaging App”
Reddit, r/signal
“Privacy is priceless, but Signal is expensive”
Reddit, r/signal

Companies that use it

  • Trees for the Future (FTFA)14
Full analysis

Based on 25+ public sources: independent reviews, security advisories, official pages, and Reddit discussion.

Free, nonprofit, genuinely private messenger. Best-in-class for people; wrong tool if you need business controls.

Methodology

Based on 25+ public sources: independent reviews, security advisories, official pages, and Reddit discussion.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Signal App Review 2025: Privacy, Pros and Cons (Mozilla Foundation)mozillafoundation.org
    review
  2. The Best Private Instant Messengers (Privacy Guides)privacyguides.org
    review
  3. Signal Products on G2 (453 reviews)g2.com
    review
  4. Signal Private Messenger - Google Playplay.google.com
    review
  5. Signal - Private Messenger - App Storeapps.apple.com
    official
  6. Signal Foundationsignal.org
    official
  7. Product security pagesignal.org
    official
  8. How dangerous are Signal vulnerabilities? (Kaspersky)kaspersky.com
    security
  9. CVE-2018-3988 Detail - NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  10. How Russian Hackers Are Exploiting Signal Linked Devices (SecurityWeek)securityweek.com
    news
  11. Pentagon warned about Signal vulnerability (NPR)npr.org
    news
  12. Signal, the app used by Trump officials (CBS News)cbsnews.com
    news
  13. Twilio Incident: What Signal Users Need to Knowsupport.signal.org
    official
  14. Why FTFA Chose Signal Messenger (case study)trees.africa
    news
  15. Reddit: Signal is truly the best messaging app for mostreddit.com
    review
  16. Signal (software) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official

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